"per page" per 100 copies, making $3 72 for each copy of 186 pages, or $37,200 for 10,000 copies. He, however, "consented that his charge for the work should be regulated by what, under all the circumstances, should be deemed reasonable;" and therefore set it down at $12,500, which sum (even according to his alleged construction) was arbitrarily fixed; and therefore the payment of it was not made under the contract, nor was it made "in pursuance of existing laws on the subject of printing." In his statement referred to, the printer says that, had this document been ordered a few days before it was, and during the existence of the previous contract of Messrs. Tippin and Streeper, the charge for it would have been $8,391 12. But upon examination the committee find that it actually was so ordered to be printed, and will be found among the printed documents (as No. 60) of the last regular session of Congress, making 152 regular octavo pages, which, for the usual number of 1,250 copies, amounted to $152, and, it is presumed, was so paid for; and which, at the price established by that contract, for 10,000 copies, would have amounted to $522 25, instead of $8,391 12, as above stated. In further obedience to the instructions of the resolution, the committee have examined the existing contract, in direct reference to this question, and find that the only difference between the style and manner of the execution of this document and that of the regular octavo form, as prescribed for part A of the fifth class, is, that the octavo page of this document is not so wide, and contains less matter, by about 300 ems, than the regular octavo page, which would make the price per page for composition, at the same rate as that for the regular page, amount to 7 cents less; but assuming the page of this document to be equal to the regular page, and allowing 40 cents for the same, (which, being in favor of the printer, he could not object to,) then there is no other point in which, according to the judgment of the committee, every part of this document would not come strictly under part A of the fifth class of printing-the type being the same, and the paper no better than that required by the contract. And under this view of the case, which is even liberal to the printer, the committee are of opinion that the whole amount proper to be charged and paid for the 10,000 copies of this document under the contract would be $657 20. Looking further into the existing contract, the committee find that there is another provision, under part C of the fifth class, which lays down a principle that will, in a direct and exact manner, meet the charge for composition of a page of any size, printed on type of any description whatever, allowing 12 cents per 1,000 ems, and for the press-work and paper of the octavo size 10 cents per page per 100 copies. Under this clause of the contract this document would amount to $1,781 79. From the foregoing, the committee are of opinion that it follows that, although the contract does not provide, in specific terms, for the printing of a document to be called "Opinions of the Supreme Court," &c., it does provide precise rules and principles which may be directly applied in ascertaining the proper and legal compensation for the printing of this document. But, admitting that the contract provided no rule whatever by which a proper charge for this document could be ascertained, and that it was necessary to look elsewhere for a rule by which a reasonable and proper charge might be made, the committee do not suppose that it could be deemed reasonable to exact a higher rate of compensation than the rates established by the joint resolution of 1819; for the printers are willing now, and have even proposed, to relinquish their present contracts, and undertake to execute all the public printing at rates less than those of 1819, reduced to the extent of 20 per cent. Yet the committee have ascertained by calculation that this document, at the full rates of 1819, would not amount to more than $2,864 50. The clause of the contract under which the printer undertakes to justify his charge is as follows: "And for all other matter not enumerated above, or where the same cannot be computed as above, including composition, press-work, paper, &c., of any size whatever, not herein specified, per 100 copies, two dollars, ($2)." To take this clause literally, it would allow the printer only $200 for the whole 10,000 copies. To add to it the words "per page," (which are not in the contract,) would make the charge amount to the enormous sum of $37,200. But it is only necessary to look at this document itself to see that it does not, and could not, even with the addition of the words "per page," be brought under this clause; for, although neither the name of the document nor the precise dimensions of the page is "enumerated above," it can be "computed as above;" for, at the rate of 12 cents per 1,000 ems, a page of any size whatever can be computed; and as to the press work and paper, it being of the octavo size, there is no difficulty whatever, since that size is "herein specified." The last clause of the resolution of the Senate inquires "how much of the printing of the present Congress will have to be paid for at such rates?" that is, the rates at which this document was charged, allowed, and paid for. In view of the foregoing exposition of facts, and even of the statement of the printer himself, already referred to, it seems so certain and clear that the construction of the contract by which this document has been paid for is entirely unfounded and untenable, that the committee deem it unnecessary to say more, in answer to the inquiry, than that, so far as this committee may have control over the subject, none of the printing of the present Congress will "be paid for at such rates." As part of this report, the committee submit a paper, (marked A,) containing the estimates alluded to in the body of the report; also papers marked B and C, being the statements of the printer and the Secretary of the Senate. A. Estimates of printing the document under the several contracts, under different constructions of the existing contract, and under the joint reso lution of March 3, 1819. 1. Under Tippin & Streeper's contract, 30th Congress: 152 pages: composition 183 cents per page. 182 1216 152 76 38 $28.50 For press-work 65 cents per 1,000 copies per page. 152 Total 522 50 for composition, press-work, and paper for 10,000 copies. 2. Under Wm. M. Belt's contract, 31st Congress, under part A, considering the document as having full octavo page, viz: 186 pages, at 40 cents for composition. $74 40 For press-work 186 pages, at 50 cents per page, for 1,500 copies. Total $620 00 for press-work and paper for 10,000 copies. 37 20 according to the contract. Deduct 6 per cent. Press work, &c. 582 80 Total 657 20 for 10,000 copies, under part A, which is the natural and proper head to bring it under, and which is liberal to the printer, allowing him for 300 ems in each page more than it contains, in consideration of the ruling at the top of the page of this document. 3. Under part C of Wm. M. Belt's contract, viz: The page of this document contains 1,404 emsThus 1404 ems. For press-work at ten cents per page per 100 copies— 186 pages. Deduct 6 per cent. $18 60 press-work for 100 copies of 186 pages. 1,860 00 press-work for 10,000 copies of 186 pages. 111 60 according to contract. Total 1,791 04 for composition, press-work, and paper for 10,000 copies under part C. 4. Under the joint resolution of March 3, 1819: For composition of 186 pages, (equal to 152 pages regular octavo,) at $1 per page, $152. For press-work and paper for 186 pages, at 874 per page: SIR: Supposing that I might be called on for a statement in regard to the matter referred to in Mr. Hale's resolution, I beg leave to submit to the Committee on Printing the accompanying paper, which gives a cou cise view of the reasons which governed in making out the account for the document referred to. I have the honor to be your obedient servant, Hon. SOLON BORLAND, Chairman Printing Committee. W. M. BELT. The undersigned, printer to the Senate, and by whom the report of the "Opinions of the Supreme Court in the cases of Smith vs. Turner, and Norris vs. the City of Boston," were printed, begs leave to present the following views of the grounds upon which his charge for the printing of that pamphlet was made. By the joint resolution of 3d August, 1846, the printing of Congress is divided into five classes, viz: 1. Bills and joint resolutions. 2. Reports of committees. 3. The journals. 4. Executive documents. 5. Every other description of printing. The document in question falling within neither of the first four classes, it must, necessarily, come into the fifth (or miscellaneous) class. This fitth class is, by the contract, subdivided into parts A, B, and C, described as follows: A.-Resolutions of State legislatures, memorials, and petitions, and all |